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Re: Terrified to stop taking my antidepressants

Posted by Racer on September 3, 2006, at 20:10:38

In reply to Re: Terrified to stop taking my antidepressants, posted by Djenane on September 3, 2006, at 18:47:01

> >
>
> The reason that I need to stop at this point in my life (even though I’m terrified) is that my husband and I very much want to have a baby. I’ve talked with my OBGYN, he says that it’s possible for me to stay on one medication and still have a healthy pregnancy, but I just don’t want to risk it. I want to be totally medication free at least while I’m pregnant and possibly longer if I nurse the baby.

Good reason. As it happens, my husband and I are trying, too, and as a result I'm only willing to take Wellbutrin, which was happily ensconsed in Category B until it was changed a few months ago, with no new studies. In my case, I know I need something, so it's not much of a question. (Unfortunately, I need something more than Wellbutrin, but that's another story...)

>
> I’m hesitant to fully trust any of the psychiatrists I’ve seen because they don’t ever even try to explore the possibility of going off meds. I don’t know whether it’s that they want me to continue being their patient, or if they really think that I need to be medicated on a life-long basis.

As for this, I suspect that they're going by the Received Wisdom of psychiatry these days: For a first episode of depression, stay on antidepressants for a minimum of two years after remission. For subsequent episodes, plan on staying on medication indefinitely. That's the basic guideline for antidepressants. Do I agree? Not necessarily... And I think that, even if it were spot on true, it wouldn't mean that you *had* to stay on meds.

The last time I went off meds, I told my erstwhile pdoc that I needed to stop them -- in my case, side effects and they weren't working -- and that I knew I'd have another episode, and could go back on them then. A sort of "we'll burn that bridge when we come to it" thing...

Anyway, I strongly suggest you give the Withdrawal board a try, see what others have to say. And I think I offered up my suggestion about the order I'd go off them if it were me.

Good luck -- on both counts!


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Psycho-Babble Medication | Framed

poster:Racer thread:682428
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060901/msgs/682836.html